Abstract

Multiple primary cancers can occur in up to 20% of primary aerodigestive tract cancer patients. The multiplicity of cancer in aerodigestive tract suggests that the exposure to common carcinogen may be the cause of multiplicity(field cancerization). Continuous alcohol drinking and smoking are considered to be the major factors in development of multiple cancers. Also, high frequency of genetic alterations in multiple primary cancer patients implys that the genetic instability such as replication error or mutation of tumor suppressor gene may play a role in the development of multiple primary cancers. We report a case of a 61 year-old man who had triple synchronous cancers in larynx, esophagus, and stomach. He was a heavy smoker of 30-pack-years and a heavy drinker. Pathological examination showed squamous cell carcinoma of larynx and esophagus, and adenocarrinoma of stomach, respectively.

• Keywords: Multiple primary malignant neoplasms, Larynx, Esophagus, Stomach